


Flying Home

by innerslytherin



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-21
Updated: 2009-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-03 13:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/pseuds/innerslytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waiting on a flight, Spencer thinks about travel and home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written while I was, in fact, sitting in McCarran International Airport.  Thank you as always to [](http://severity-softly.livejournal.com/profile)[**severity_softly**](http://severity-softly.livejournal.com/) for beta-reading and [](http://darkhawkhealer.livejournal.com/profile)[**darkhawkhealer**](http://darkhawkhealer.livejournal.com/) for helping with the ending. :D 

Spencer Reid was always relieved to be back at McCarran International waiting for his flight home. Vegas just wasn't home any more, no matter how much he sometimes wished it could be. Of course, he'd been too young to legally gamble or drink when he'd left, despite the fact that he'd always been able to get into back room games whenever he wanted.

It was always good to see his mother, and he used his annual leave every year to visit her. But it wasn't the same, even in her most lucid moments. While he and his mother were close, the guilt he felt over having her institutionalized had been a barrier between them since he turned eighteen.

This visit had been both better and worse than usual, and he was fighting a headache as he slumped into a seat at a little sports bar and ordered a Crown and Coke.

"Single or double?"

Spencer debated, then remembered he had company. "Single," he said, and sighed, then forked over the ten dollars for the drink and tip.

"Anything happening?" the bartender asked. He was an older guy, and looked like he was bored. The only other occupants of the bar were a man and woman who were wrapped up in their beers and each other. Spencer really hoped the bartender wasn't hitting on him.

"Waiting for a ten o'clock flight," Spencer said. "Going home."

"Good luck with that." The guy slid his drink across the bar and Spencer glanced around, then took a seat by the front, but away from the bar.

It was only a few minutes later that he saw who he was looking for and waved. He should have ordered a beer for Morgan.  Shit. He was still pretty bad at this whole relationship thing.

"Hey, pretty boy. Got the rental taken care of."

"Thanks," Spencer said, smiling at Derek. "I, ah, wasn't sure what you would want to drink."

Derek shrugged, smiling back. "Heineken's always a good guess," he said, and headed up to the bar to order. When he came back he slumped into the booth next to Spencer instead of across from him. That was something Spencer was still getting used to, even though they'd been together for almost a year and he'd brought Derek to Vegas with the express intention of letting him 'meet' his mother.

"Flying commercial always makes me feel lonely," Spencer said after a moment. He wasn't sure why he said it, but he liked that Derek just draped an arm around his shoulders and didn't say anything. "I think it's airports, really. Getting to the airport and knowing there's no one to meet your flight."

Derek sipped his beer and nodded.

"I sort of forget that you're with me," Spencer admitted sheepishly.

"I get that," Derek said, tightening his arm around Spencer's shoulders. "We're both used to relying on ourselves and no one else."

Spencer nodded and leaned into Derek.

"I'm not exactly picking you up at the airport, but I'll definitely give you a ride home," Derek promised, leaning in to brush his lips against Spencer's ear.

"Mmm, thanks," Spencer whispered, enjoying the shiver that ran down his neck. "Maybe you'll give me a ride _at_ home too?"

Derek chuckled in his ear, a low, rich sound. "Oh, pretty boy, you know I'll do anything you want."

Spencer grinned at him and straightened to sip his drink. "Yeah, I've got you wrapped around my little finger."

"You know it."

A voice came over the loudspeaker: "Attention, please, flight 571 nonstop to Dulles International is now boarding business class at Gate D50."

Derek hummed and kissed Spencer's cheek. "That's us, pretty boy."

"Business class? You upgraded us?" Spencer glanced at him. There were complimentary drinks in business class.

"You know I got out here with cramps from being jack-knifed into that tiny l'il seat," Derek said. "I tell you, I'm never flying economy class again. Bad enough we have to deal with security and lines at the baggage carousel when we're on personal travel. I'm not gonna squish my six-foot-three frame into a five-foot-five seat ever again."

Spencer was laughing half-way through Derek's complaint, since he'd heard them all after the flight out here. Finally he pressed his fingers against Derek's lips to shut him up. "All right," he murmured, grinning. "Let's go home."


End file.
